How do you wash a wool coat? If it is fully lined, like Lebrun Paris coats, have it gently dry cleaned, as our FAQ explains. If it is unlined, wash it by hand in cold or lukewarm water. Between washes, brushing and airing are enough. This guide covers every step, for wool, cashmere and wool-cashmere blends.
Don't wash it too often
First rule: wool and cashmere are not washed like a T-shirt. Their fibres hold little odour or dirt. Worn over a jacket or a jumper, a wool coat needs washing once or twice a season, not after every outing.
Between washes, air the coat outdoors, out of direct sun, for 30 to 60 minutes after wearing. Light odours fade and the fibres relax.
Brushing: the basic habit
After each wear, brush the coat with a soft clothes brush, ideally boar bristle. Brushing:
- removes dust, lint and particles caught between the fibres;
- lifts the nap and gives the cloth back its volume;
- limits pilling, by stopping fibres from tangling.
Always brush with the grain, from top to bottom, in long, even strokes.
How to wash and clean a wool coat
For a light stain, start with spot cleaning. Dab with a damp cloth and a little Marseille soap, without rubbing. Rinse with cold water.
A Lebrun Paris coat is fully lined: gentle dry cleaning remains the rule. For an unlined wool coat:
- By hand (recommended): cold or lukewarm water, 30 °C at most, wool detergent or a mild shampoo. Press without wringing or spinning.
- In the machine, only if the care label allows it: wool or delicate cycle, 30 °C at most, gentle 400 rpm spin. Put the coat in a laundry bag.
- Dry cleaning: the safest option for pure cashmere and structured pieces. Always mention the fabric.
Drying: the critical step
Never hang a wet wool coat: the weight of the water pulls the shoulders out of shape for good. The right method:
- lay the coat flat on a clean surface, a towel or a flat drying rack;
- reshape it by hand before it dries;
- let it dry in the open air, away from radiators and sun;
- never use a tumble dryer: heat felts wool permanently.
Pressing and removing creases
Wool should not be ironed directly: heat can make it shiny or felt it. Use a garment steamer instead, held 10 cm from the cloth. Steam relaxes the fibres and lifts creases without contact.
If you use an iron, always place a damp cloth between iron and coat, on the wool setting.
Storing your coat out of season
At the end of the season, before putting the coat away:
- brush it carefully and let it air for 24 hours;
- have it cleaned if needed: sweat or food marks attract moths;
- store it in a breathable cotton cover, never plastic, which traps moisture;
- add cedar or lavender sachets against moths, rather than mothballs, which soak into the fibres;
- hang it on a wide hanger with padded shoulders, or fold it flat.
Dealing with pilling
Pills appear where the cloth rubs: under the arms, at the elbows, near the fastening. To remove them:
- use a de-pilling stone or an electric fabric shaver;
- work gently, with the cloth slightly stretched;
- never pull pills off by hand: you would tear out fibres.
Lebrun Paris coats: wool and full lining
Lebrun Paris coats are in pure wool, wool and cashmere, or heavy 900-gram wool. All are fully lined. The exact composition of each coat is on its product page.
See our selection of men's wool coats, in virgin wool and cashmere, and the Our fabrics page for details on the fibres we use.
Complete your wardrobe
How to wear it: a long wool coat goes buttoned over a suit, or open over a knit.
Discover our wool and cashmere coats, all made in France. See also our guide to choosing a men's coat, the comparison virgin wool or cashmere, and the fabrics we work with.